


Building Home

by SockLing



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-22 03:32:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11371704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SockLing/pseuds/SockLing
Summary: When Jaal was younger, he used to dream of having a large family of his own.  Then, he went and fell in love with the Pathfinder, a human male.  And apparently, human men have no way of carrying children.But he can handle that.  Ryder is all he needs.





	Building Home

**Author's Note:**

> So hey... I'm not dead~
> 
> Sorry for my ridiculously long absence, but basically... a lot of shit. All kinds of it. And I lost all my story files so yay... but here I am, after finishing a playthrough with Scott (or my Xiuxiu) romancing Jaal. And it's my OTP so... life.
> 
> I'm also not sure I'm totally happy with the end, but... meh. I haven't written in like two years so I'm a bit out of touch.

He had been… curious.

When Jaal heard that Ryder was returning to the Nexus to watch young children, there blossomed a barely formed idea. A dream, perhaps, would be a more apt description. The Ama Darav family was large, especially in comparison to all the alien species now inhabiting Heleus. But it had left Jaal with that keen sense of family the rest of the angara possessed. Naturally, he had always believed his future held a large family of his own, children running every which way.

Then he fell in love with Ryder, a human man. Who had a weird aversion to the angaran system of many mothers in every family, but Jaal was hardly stressed with this whole “ _monogamy_ ” business. Regardless, he learned the human male had no way of carrying children – much like the men of his race – and put the thought from his head before he got so caught up that he upset himself. Or Ryder.

Naturally, sitting in the apartment of Kesh and Vorn, watching the man laugh and roughhouse with krogan young ones had reawakened the dream he pushed away.

His darling one looked so at ease with the children, not at all the expression he had seen on Ryder’s sister, Ming. She had looked distinctly uncomfortable, in fact. For a moment longer, his eyes followed the man rolling on the floor, covered in the bodies of grunting and huffing toddlers. He cleared his throat to gain Ryder’s attention. “When your sister returned from her ‘shift,’ she had appeared… overwhelmed. But you seem to be enjoying yourself; do you like children?”

The first time Ryder tried to answer, he was cut short by a body slam. Jaal winced in sympathy; how he remembered being taken down by a younger sibling or cousin. He waited patiently, mostly, for Ryder to free himself. “Don’t share it with anyone, but I love kids. Ming always thought they were disgusting and loud, but I don’t know. I guess they’ve always been cute to me.” Ah, that was good then, very good. Jaal had to make sure to keep his face neutral as he prodded further. “Have you ever considered having your own children?”

The strangest look came over Ryder’s face; he smiled, but it was… sad. Perhaps longing. “I used to think it might be nice, but back on Earth, I ran into a lot of problems. They had issues adopting out to a single man who kept running off to explore the galaxy. And I never had any interest in women. I guess I gave up after awhile. Now I don’t mind just watching the children of our friends on my days off.” As if to prove his point, Ryder fell onto his back and allowed the krogans to climb all over him again.

But his tone, his expression, had left Jaal with a strange mix of emotions. He was saddened for his love, who sounded broken under the calm acceptance he was trying to exude. At the same time, there was that hope growing more inside him. Well, he certainly had a plan for what they were going to do when Ryder finally gave himself time to just relax and be at peace with the home he had made.

\--------------

For weeks, Jaal had been staring at maps of various planets, scrutinizing every last detail. More than a few members of the crew had commented on it, but he merely gave them a secretive smile and went back to his work. He enjoyed their company and trusted them, but not with a secret like this. Well, perhaps Cora, but she had been invaluable in her assistance and her discretion. He did need a human perspective, after all; wherever he made a home for himself and Ryder had to be to both their liking.

She had helped narrow it down to Havarl – which made him pleased in a way he was not sure he wanted to explain yet – and Eos.

And while he was a little biased, he couldn’t make his decision on that basis alone. So, with a heavy sigh, he left his seat to go find Ryder. He could do this without giving away his plan, right? He could definitely fight how weak he was to Ryder. Most assuredly. Or so he thought, until he was staring at the face of the man, who smiled brilliantly at him. It was all he had in him not to ran his hands through that shaggy, pale purple hair. Or kiss the oddly marked lips.

Oh, who was he kidding? He could no more avoid kissing Ryder than he could breathing.

Once he pulled away, Ryder’s smile more serene and content than blinding, Jaal felt himself losing his will. He **had** to do this, before he got distracted, as he often did. “Hello, darling one.”

“Pretty sure you already said ‘hello’.”

… no, he hadn’t. When his eyes narrowed in confusion, Ryder laughed, and he couldn’t find it in himself to feel slighted or insulted. “The kiss, Jaal. Many humans use it as a greeting for their partner.” Jaal hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose that does make sense. But I came to ask a question. I was… chatting with Cora, and she brought up an interesting topic.” Please, don’t ever figure out that he was the one who brought it up. Many times. Over the course of weeks.

“When you have the chance, is there a planet you’d prefer settling on?” He was proud of himself, not forcing it all out in a single rush of breath. It meant Ryder merely made a thoughtful sound instead of becoming suspicious of him. “Well, I suppose in a perfect universe, I’d like Aya. But it’s still mostly volcano, so… Havarl.” While it made Jaal’s heart soar to hear such a thing, he was admittedly curious as to the reasoning, and he voiced his question. Ryder blushed then, reaching a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. Ah, he recognized this gesture – embarrassment.

“Well… both planets are incredibly beautiful. But I also think I’d like to be close to your culture. What made you, you. I-If we actually get to that point. It _is_ a distance away yet, and-”

He hadn’t meant to cut Ryder off; it was rude, after all. But after those words, the sincerity he heard, the angara couldn’t hold himself back. He had reached out and pulled his beloved into a deep, passionate kiss. Not that Ryder seemed to be against it, if the hands gripping his rofjinn and somewhat needy sounds were any indication. Jaal had truly meant to pull away and leave the Pathfinder to continue whatever he may have been working on, but then Ryder pressed his full body up against him and he couldn’t think of a decent enough reason not to guide them both back into their now shared quarters.

\--------------

“Jaal, I think I found a lovely spot near the lake you used to run off to.”

Jaal groaned quietly, dropping his face down into his hands. “Mother, you know there’s a kaerkyn nest in that area.” He heard his mother sniff, a sound of both upset and disdain. Oh wonderful. “And you’re both warriors; I’m sure you can handle yourselves. I’m sure I could convince Xiuxiu if you would just let me.”

“Did your mother just call me by my nickname?”

Jaal startled and turned to see Ryder standing in the doorway, a brow arched in amusement. His arms were crossed, but everything else screamed the casual ease he seemed to sink into whenever they were around each other. Before Jaal could respond, Sahuna made a delighted sound and he was forced to hide his face again. Why had he agreed to a video conference? “Pathfinder! Perhaps you could help me convince my son he’s being far too protective.” Ryder turned a snort into a cough. “Well, that depends on the context.”

“He seems to think you can’t handle spending long periods of time around a kaerkyn nest. Like you didn’t save the entire cluster. I think he’s just being blinded by his love.”

“Mother!”

“Oh, don’t take that tone with me. It’s hardly my fault you’re so single-minded in this.” He was getting to be certain that his face would simply melt off with the heat he felt in his cheeks. At least it wasn’t readily obvious to Ryder, who had his lips pressed tightly together in a strained expression. He was going to have to deal with the breathless laughter later, he could hear it already. The Pathfinder took a moment to compose himself, though he was clearly far too pleased. “I sometimes like knowing Jaal is making life easier for me. Though I think I could handle some kaerkyn.”

“I told you, Jaal.”

The angaran warrior sighed heavily, not sure when he was ganged up against. “Yes, all right, Mother. I’ll… consider your suggestion, but I really must go now.” Before she could continued – or he could feel guilty about it – he turned the comm off and stared at the empty space it left behind. At least his mother seemed pleased at the idea of Ryder living so close by. As he turned to address his beloved, the man was already there, wrapping his arms around Jaal’s waist. Sometimes, he wondered if Ryder knew just how much his touch grounded him.

“Mmm, mind sharing what that was all about? I adore your mother, but the conversation was a bit odd.” Jaal snorted and rested his forehead against Ryder’s, closing his eyes, enjoying the closeness for a moment. “Unfortunately, I need to ask you to be patient. I’ll explain in time, but for now, it is my secret. And perhaps Cora’s.”

“Cora gets to know and I don’t? I see who your favorite really is.”

Jaal opened his eyes quickly, about to defend himself, until he saw the teasing grin on Ryder’s face. He stared at his face for a long moment, raising his hand as if to cup Ryder’s cheek. And how the angara laughed when he instead pushed the man away and he squawked indignantly.

\--------------

It was a bit rare, but Jaal found himself standing on the docks of the Nexus, talking with another angara. After he decided to listen to his mother, Jaal had contacted some builders to get a home put up as quickly as they could. Which was apparently faster than he gave them credit for, as the male announced they were nearing completion. It made his chest warm, and he felt so elated that he could hardly keep himself from grinning like some… idiot. He had just waved the man off when the omnitool on his arm went off. He lifted his arm and made a curious sound when he saw Ryder’s name.

He answered the call with a simple, “Hello?”

“Um, hey, so… you know where cryo is, right? You should know, I’ve showed you like… a billion and six times. Okay, you know where it is, so you should head this way. Soon. Now? Now would be better.” The call ended abruptly and Jaal’s brow raised slightly. It wasn’t often that his beloved rambled like that. Usually only when he was stressed or on the verge of- oh shit.

Not wasting another moment, Jaal made his way to the tram and selected the cryo bay, taking a seat as he waited. Couldn’t this thing move any faster? Something was wrong with Ryder and he needed to fix it. Now. He tapped his foot anxiously as he waited, drumming his fingers over his knee. Maybe he should speak to someone higher up, get the speed on this thing adjusted. The second it slowed down and the doors opened, Jaal was practically running down the stairs to find his beloved.

It took a moment longer than he would have liked, but he eventually saw a very familiar shock of unruly purple hair, and a very unfamiliar spot of dark brown, far more tame hair. Confusion clouding his features, he made his way over to Ryder, reaching out to gently place his hand on the man’s shoulder. The man looked up at him and smiled, much at odds with the liquid in his eyes. What was happening? “Ah, darling one, are you… all right?”

He gave the other – a woman, he could see now – a strange look as Ryder sniffled and nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, you probably worried, huh?” Jaal absently nodded, continuing to stare at the woman. She looked… tired, worn down, but pleased. And vaguely familiar. And not in the way he thought most of them looked the same; something about her resonated deep within him. “Jaal… do you remember what I told you about my mom?”

“Yes, that she had passed before you left for this journey. From an illness your father tried to cure.” How could he forget? It had caused his beloved one great pain to think about. Ryder made a strangled sound and Jaal was quick to wrap him up in his arms, despite the height difference with Ryder sitting and himself standing. The human man huffed a strange laugh as he latched onto his rofjinn. A very common practice when he was overwhelmed, Jaal was learning.

“Right. So, ah, meet my mother.”

The woman looked at Jaal and it hit him; she looked familiar because she shared features with a face he could never stop staring at. But… she had died. Ryder had been so upset by it, so shaken, even though it happened before he ever made it to Andromeda. Ryder must have sensed his confusion, since he pulled back slightly and looked up at him. “My dad secretly stored her away in cryo, hoping we could find a way to cure her. I knew a long time ago she was here, but… since we had nothing, it was like she was still… gone. Then Suvi and her team approached me a week ago.”

Suvi. Of course, if anyone could have cured Ryder’s mother, it was her. And a team, but one she led. This was exceedingly difficult for him to wrap his head around, but he supposed it was practically on par with when they all but proved reincarnation. He looked at the woman – Ellen, he believed – and blinked slowly when she gave him a tired smile. No wonder she looked so worn then. “She’s not… completely cured. But they found something to stop the progression while they work on an actual cure.”

That certainly made more sense than already having a cure for something not even SAM could stop. Though he certainly wasn’t about to actually voice as such, not wanting to ruin any happiness his darling one was experiencing. He went to say something, but was stopped by a woman’s voice. “You’re Jaal, then?” Hopefully this was going nowhere bad. “Yes, I am. Jaal Ama Darav.”

“Then I have you to thank for keeping my son alive.” He hardly believed that was _all_ him; Ryder had his own skills, and seemed pretty adept at keeping himself and others alive. For the most part. Not including the twice he died, and the time he very nearly died on when SAM was disconnected from him. Though, maybe they weren’t telling her that. “It was… nothing? Truly, I couldn’t have lived myself without him.”

Oh no… there was that “knowing mother” smile. She had it too.

“Does that mean I lived to see a marriage and grandchildren?” Ryder sputtered out random words that hardly made sense, but Jaal wondered instead if he had been found out. By a woman who everyone believed had been dead. Then again, she was a mother.

\--------------

“Jaal, where are we going?”

“Trust me, Xiuxiu.” It was sometimes strange using his nickname, as opposed to Ryder, but he had apparently earned the right. But the man continued to follow him, though he had little choice. He was blindfolded, and relying completely on Jaal to get him where they were going unharmed. Which made him love the man even further, to show him such trust. He wondered, not for the first time, if perhaps his own heart could explode from all it felt for Ryder. “You trusted me when I asked you not to shoot Akksul.”

“And that got you shot in the face.”

“… while I see your point, it was only a scratch, hardly worth mentioning.”

“Except he shot your face.”

He was never sure if he was annoyed with, or loved the way his darling one could be so stubborn. Regardless, he just kissed the man’s nose and finally had him stop just in front of a small house, built to look much the same as any on Havarl. But it was theirs, and that was all that mattered. Provided, of course, that Ryder actually liked the gift. One of the gifts. And he was started to feel nervous, wonderful. He swallowed thickly and rested his hands on Ryder’s shoulder. “Beloved, do you recall my promise on Meridian? After your sister had woken once more?”

“Uh, the one about a house and holding me?” Jaal chuckled and kissed Ryder’s forehead. “Yes, that one. I believe… I should show you something.” He moved to stand just behind the man, and pulled the blindfold off, watching his face carefully over his shoulder. For a long moment, Ryder just stared at the house, until he finally tilted his head, looking curious. “Jaal… Jaal, what am I looking at?”

“Our house.”

That seemed to finally do it. The human man suddenly stood up straighter, eyes a little wider. For the first time since he removed the blindfold, Ryder took a moment to look around, at the trees and the lake. Jaal held his breath as he waited, starting to doubt himself more the longer Ryder went in silence. Just as he was contemplating telling the man to forget it, it had been a foolish idea, he suddenly found himself lying flat on his back, Ryder pressing kisses over his face. Not that he was complaining; it was a far better reaction than he had expected.

“You seriously built us a _house_ On Havar-” The man stopped with a gasp and gave him a positively scandalized look. “… that’s why you asked me where I’d like to live. You sneaky shit.” Jaal laughed and ruffled that hair he so loved to touch. “Yes, that is why. Cora helped me narrow it down to Eos or Havarl, but… neither of us was sure which you’d actually pick. It was… heart-warming to hear you choose my home world.”

“Would your mother have allowed us to live anywhere else?

“Mmmm, only if we had a… vacation home here.” The man on top of him grinned quite blindingly, then leaned back down to finally kiss his lips. It was a short kiss, but no less wonderful than the long moments they spent locked together. “You do realize we can’t actually move in quite yet, right?” The angaran warrior nodded, though he was still smiling himself. “I know. But it’s here when we need time away. And when you finally give up the title of Pathfinder. And before you get settled, there is… one more matter I must bring up.”

Ryder arched a brow, his look a touch concerned now. Jaal supposed his voice had been a bit… down, as Liam liked to tell him. “This one is not set in stone, we have a choice. But one of my cousins, she passed away with her mate. They left behind a very young child, currently being looked after by my true mother.”

“How young?”

“A few of your months. Sahuna is more than happy to raise the child, but… you had said you had once wanted children, and I did too. If you like, we ca-”

“Yes.” Jaal blinked dumbly a few times. That… had been oddly easy. “Yes? So quickly?” Ryder chuckled and pushed his hair out of his face, smiling serenely at him. “I mean, again, it might be a few months before we can fully dedicate ourselves, but you’re the most spectacular of gift givers.” A few months? He furrowed his brows at Ryder, who blushed and looked away. “Ryder, what is it?”

“So… I may have been talking to Ming about passing the title on to her. She is itching to go exploring and adventuring, and I… would much rather move into this house with you, and just live a calmer life. But even before I knew about all this, I just wanted to spend all my time with you, not worrying about death every time we went somewhere. Just stay with you wherever you were. Or on the Nexus, if you weren’t comfortable with that.”

He wrapped his arms tightly around Ryder and held him close. “I would never have been uncomfortable with you so close.” He heard the man sigh, a pleasant sound as he snuggled into him. The ground was getting uncomfortable, but that could wait as Ryder spoke up again. “Like you said, nothing’s set in stone. I was just putting things into place in case I decided for sure I wanted to give it up. It kind of sounds like we both were though.”

“It sounds like we both wanted a life together without the interruptions of saving the universe.” Ryder laughed then and kissed him again, lingering. And when the lingering kiss started to become something more, Jaal managed to carry his darling one inside the home that would – hopefully – soon be full of his little family.


End file.
